AAA: December Gas Prices Highest In 3 Years

Motorists will not find significant holiday savings when filling their gas tanks. AAA Mid-Atlantic says while drivers are seeing slightly lower prices at the pumps, motorists are still paying the highest December gas prices since 2014.

As of Sunday, the average price for a gallon a gasoline in Philadelphia’s 5-county region was $2.73. And while that is 2 cents cheaper than a week ago, it’s an increase of 33 cents from the same time last year.

Meantime, drivers in South Jersey were paying $2.46 a gallon. That’s down 3 cents from last week, but 21 cents more than they were paying one year ago.

However, AAA says motorists can expect gas prices to continue to trend cheaper the first few months of 2018, with potential to see the national gas price average in the $2.25-$2.35 range by February.

“Prices at the pump should slowly decline through the holiday season as colder temperatures, the threat of inclement weather and online shopping take a bite out of the demand for gasoline,” said AAA Mid Atlantic’s Jana Tidwell. “AAA expects to see gas prices trend lower through the end of the year, decreasing as much as 20 cents per gallon in some areas.”